tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70670976072730211032018-03-08T12:41:44.975-06:00let's pretend we don't existAt least I author my own disaster.torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.comBlogger234125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-42043718290146535822018-03-08T12:41:00.001-06:002018-03-08T12:41:45.082-06:00Cambridge University Press celebrates Intl Women's Day... sort of For the month of March, Cambridge University Press is highlighting female writing across a wide range of disciplines (STEM, History, Feminism, Gender&amp;Law/Politics/Religion).<br /><br />Available here:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cambridge.org/IWD2018" target="_blank">www.cambridge.org/IWD2018</a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/8XpOcj9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="639" src="https://i.imgur.com/8XpOcj9.jpg" /></a></div>They are showcasing topics and authors that might not be on everyone's radar, but despite the misleading headline, these are not all available for free. Readers will have access to&nbsp;<i>select </i>chapters of <i>select </i>books as well as some journal articles and blog posts. So in the end, it's a neat round up of works where an unfortunately small portion has actually been made available to download/read. But if you have time to browse - have fun!<br /><br /><b>Sidenote:</b> don't even bother with the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/.../women-in-computer-science" target="_blank">Women in Computer Science section</a> that they FEATURED ON THEIR HOMEPAGE because it's empty. Come on, guys.<br /><br /><br />torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-69927382801600943022018-02-24T13:31:00.000-06:002018-03-03T23:12:37.728-06:00Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/lKje2nv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eloquent Rage by Brittney Cooper collaged with Beyonce in Formation" border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="800" src="https://i.imgur.com/lKje2nv.jpg" title="Eloquent Rage by Brittney Cooper collaged with Beyonce in Formation" width="700" /></a></div><br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"<i>When Beyoncé tells all the fly chicks <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDZJPJV__bQ" target="_blank">to get in formation</a>, she is asking us to get our shit together so we can do the work that needs to be done. An the stakes are high as hell, because Black people are being killed. So, she reminds us, 'S</i>lay, trick. Or you get eliminated.<i>' Now that might be a reference to some kind of dance competition. But it's also a revision of '</i>Never let them catch you slipping.'<i> Be the best. Be exceptional. Or get eliminated.</i>"</blockquote>Part memoir, part lecture series, these essays cover some serious ground. Cooper tackles everything from domestic abuse to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/01/19/feminism-intersectionality-racism-sexism-class/96633750/" target="_blank">intersectional</a>&nbsp;feminism to Respectability Politics and the racism within the War on Drugs - all informed by personal experience but transformed into well-researched lessons on deconstructive sociology. The title was born from her journey learning to channel rage at injustice into productive, academic pursuits and it perfectly captures the thematic undercurrent of collection.<br /><br />Cooper is well-educated and well spoken, a self-designated know-it-all and high achiever. This is both a strength and a weakness in her narrative voice. She is obviously brilliant and her insights challenge the reader, forcing us to reconsider our own preconceptions. But at times this is preached with a level of certainty that sidesteps her own personal journey: the roundabout mental side-streets that she has taken to end up with her current understanding of the world. Much of the book showcases how her beliefs have evolved over time with little forgiveness for those who still exist in these planes of ignorance. I certainly had a lot to learn from these essays, so perhaps this criticism comes from my own internal defensiveness. Actually yea, that's probably it. Still, Cooper herself says, "<i>Intersectionality is not only </i>not<i> objective, it sneers at claims to objectivity, arguing that none of us is purely objective. We all come with a perspective and an agenda. We all have investments. We all have skin in the game.</i>" So part of this learning process is for us as readers to acknowledge our own sets of privilege and being willing to listen to each other's experiences and truths without judgement. Another part is taking a step back from our knee-jerk defensiveness and rather than saying to yourself "But I'm one of the good ones!" ask yourself, "What if I'm one of the bad ones?" and work from there.<br /><br /><i>Eloquent Rage</i>&nbsp;is an excellent and necessary book that is somehow as funny and irreverent as it is solemn and deadly fucking serious. Highly recommend it to anyone interested in Black Feminism - in Cooper's own words, "<i>America needs a homegirl intervention in the worst way.</i>" The text falls somewhere between Ta-Nehisi Coates' <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33916061-we-were-eight-years-in-power" target="_blank">We Were Eight Years in Power</a> </i>and<i>&nbsp;</i>Roxane Gay's&nbsp;<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18813642-bad-feminist" target="_blank">Bad Feminist</a></i>&nbsp;on the highbrow-to-accessible scale of discourse (both of which are obviously also fantastic and eye-opening in their own right). To wrap up, here are some gem pull-quotes:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"<i>All voters should have access to candidates that make them feel recognized, but there's a problem when your notion of recognition is predicated on someone else's exclusion. There's a problem when visibility becomes a zero-sum game, where making one group's demands visible make every other group's political concerns obscure. Only white supremacy demands such exacting and fatalistic math.</i>"</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">&nbsp;"<i>The term 'feminist killjoys' is well-earned. Sometimes, in the bid for rightness, feminists and hyperwoke folks can take the joy out of everything. I actually think its irresponsible to wreck shop in people's world without giving them the tools to rebuild. It's fine to quote </i><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/audre-lorde" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Audre Lorde</a><i>* to people and tell them, '</i>The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house.<i>' The harder work is helping people find better tools to work with. We have to smash the patriarchy, for sure. And we have to dismantle white supremacy, and homophobia, and a whole bunch of other terrible shit that makes life difficult for people. Rage is great at helping us to destroy things. That's why people are so afraid of it.</i>"</blockquote><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498834108l/33574165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498834108l/33574165.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><b>Eloquent Rage:&nbsp;</b><b>A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower</b><br />by&nbsp;<a href="http://www.brittneycooper.com/">Brittney Cooper</a><br />Published&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33574165-eloquent-rage">Feb 20 2018</a><br /><br />// I received this book free from <a href="http://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a> in exchange for an honest review. All quotes are taken from the advance reader's copy and may not accurately reflect the final published version. <br /><br />Want more Brittney Cooper? Check out her&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salon.com/writer/brittney_cooper/" target="_blank">Salon.com essays</a>, her&nbsp;<a href="http://www.brittneycooper.com/" target="_blank">personal site</a>&nbsp;/&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ProfessorCrunk" target="_blank">twitter</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.crunkfeministcollective.com/" target="_blank">Crunk Feminist Collective</a>&nbsp;she co-edits, or this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.popsugar.com/news/Brittney-Cooper-Interview-Eloquent-Rage-Black-Feminism-44624748" target="_blank">interview on Popsugar</a>&nbsp;she did to promote&nbsp;<i>Eloquent Rage</i>!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;">*<br /><a href="https://media.poetryfoundation.org/m/image/15915/audre-lorde-hires-cropped.jpg?w=1940&amp;h=&amp;fit=max&amp;1940" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Audre Lorde standing next to a chalkboard where she has written Women are powerful and dangerous" border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="425" src="https://media.poetryfoundation.org/m/image/15915/audre-lorde-hires-cropped.jpg?w=1940&amp;h=&amp;fit=max&amp;1940" title="Audre Lorde - Women are powerful and dangerous" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Audre Lorde, self described “black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet”</td></tr></tbody></table>torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-48658808298331864432018-02-17T12:37:00.000-06:002018-02-20T15:52:10.989-06:00The Philosopher's Flight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/wM7o96i.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sigils from The Philosopher's Flight by Tom Miller" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://i.imgur.com/wM7o96i.gif" title="Sigils from The Philosopher's Flight by Tom Miller" width="640" /></a></div><b><br /></b><b>The Philosopher's Flight</b><br />by Tom Miller<br />Published: Feb 2018<br /><br />World War I rages in Europe and teen Robert Weekes is stuck at home in rural Montana, desperate to join the war efforts. He's dreamed of enlisting in the elite Rescue &amp; Evac squad for as long as he can remember, but there are more than a few hurdles in his path. He'd need to become an expert <b>empirical philosopher</b>, or <i>sigilrist</i>: a practitioner well-versed in the art of drawing sigils to manipulate physical forces and matter (think magic without wands). Even though his tough-as-nails war-hero mother has taught him the basics, this cryptic field of study is so heavily dominated by women that men are rarely, if ever, train professionally. His talents eventually land him a university scholarship, but it's only the beginning of the trials and tribulations he must face to pursue his dream.<br /><br /><i>The Philosopher's Flight</i> is a fun light read that pairs plausible alchemy with civil rights activism and rolls it all into an adventurous coming of age tale. Though it reads like a YA novel, it doesn't shy away from the darkness and violence that accompanies systemic oppression. I really enjoyed the "gender-flip" here-- it's a complex and nuanced reversal of the script. Even though women seem to have more of an aptitude for sigilry it certainly doesn't translate into total control over society. They are respected in some spheres and denounced in others, existing in a space somewhere between mutants in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5439365" target="_blank">X-Men Universe</a> and the "witches" on trial in Salem. As an added dimension we get a quick glimpse into the dynamics of race relations in early 1900's America, but for the most part this remains unexplored.<br /><br />Fans of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.hpmor.com/" target="_blank">Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality</a>&nbsp;will appreciate the effort Miller makes to ground empirical philosophy in science. The magical forces in the story are mysterious but not impenetrable (we get at least <i>one </i>character trying to decipher how the packets of magic energy travel in space). Plus with all the focus on rescue&nbsp; missions and medical applications of sigils, it's really no surprise the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/an-open-letter-to-anna-louise-jordan-author-of-what-does-an-emt-do" target="_blank">author</a> is an EMT turned ER Doctor (turned novelist!).<br /><br /><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492752050l/34917274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492752050l/34917274.jpg" width="131" /></a>In all honesty, I wasn't <i>hooked </i>until about three-fourths of the way through when suddenly, I couldn't put it down. The first parts build up the slow simmering of tension and context until finally it all explodes into a rolling boil of drama that leaves you wanting more. According to this&nbsp;<a href="https://www.southbendtribune.com/entertainment/inthebend/arts/notre-dame-alumnus-takes-flight-with-debut-novel/article_ce310cf9-be94-55c3-a934-7a9c0b02651e.html">interview with author Tom Miller</a>&nbsp;(which also details how his observations of subtle sexism as an EMT helped inform the novel) it's going to be a five part series. So that's exciting. Can't wait to see how this alternate-history world progresses. If stalking the webiste of the publisher is any indication, we may have "<a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Philosophers-War/Tom-Miller/9781508234074" target="_blank"><b>Philosopher's War</b></a>" to look forward to (though <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34917274-the-philosopher-s-war" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>&nbsp;seems to indicate this is just an outdated alternate title/cover for <i>Flight</i>).<br /><br /><br /><br />// I received&nbsp;<i>The&nbsp;Philosopher's Flight</i> as part of my subscription to <a href="https://www.bookofthemonth.com/">Book of the Month</a>torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-57099040918896194642018-02-14T09:48:00.002-06:002018-03-03T19:11:36.179-06:00Feel Free by Zadie Smith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gs2fXHKNThQ/Wo-dR0-AydI/AAAAAAAAE6U/o14urBPxqfUYyrEUWklFVZnjaNi4s2_jwCLcBGAs/s1600/zadiesmith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="1600" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gs2fXHKNThQ/Wo-dR0-AydI/AAAAAAAAE6U/o14urBPxqfUYyrEUWklFVZnjaNi4s2_jwCLcBGAs/s640/zadiesmith.jpg" width="700" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;"><h3><b><span style="font-family: &quot;times&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif;">"I find myself to be radically discontinuous with myself."&nbsp;</span></b></h3></blockquote><i>Feel Free</i> is a phenomenal round up of Zadie Smith's articles and essays over the last ten or so years. Not all of the pieces were for me personally (specifically the heavy dose of highbrow lit crit), but man, the rest really struck me down to my core. So whether you identify as a writer, reader, artist, musician, historian philosopher, millennial, gen-Xer, black, white, or mixed: there's something that will speak to you, trust me. Together the essays weave a rich tapestry of voices, all varying shades of Smith. Deeply personal experiences presented alongside stoic, critical analyses. She waxes poetic on the importance of libraries, how technology shifts reality, pluralism and the significance of race, why she was terrified of writing in the first person and oh yeah this one time she burned down her Italian apartment. Seriously, something for everyone.<br /><div><br /></div>I went with the <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Bios-Memoirs/Feel-Free-Audiobook/B078PR9ZFK?ref=a_a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&amp;pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&amp;pf_rd_r=THKACZV39NS1ZTB1TQBP&amp;">audiobook</a>&nbsp;(shout-out to narrator&nbsp;<a href="https://royalcourttheatre.com/cast/nikki-amuka-bird/" target="_blank">Nikki Amuka-Bird</a>&nbsp;for knocking it out of the fucking park) not thinking about the fact that <i>listening </i>to a book makes it super tedious to bookmark or make note of beautiful passages. Soon what started as me googling to find a few direct quotes snowballed into a quest to find all 31+ essays. Turns out, of the essays that had been previously published, most are available online! Some live behind paywalls, some are available as previews but ultimately require a subscription, and some are freebies open to the public. One's even in German so&nbsp;<i>viel Glück damit...</i><br /><br />I didn't collect all of these links to stick it to the publishing industry or help people bypass checking out the book for themselves. Just thought it'd be nice to compile the works into one easy-to-access spot for anyone else wanting to reference the texts digitally. Our benevolent overlords at Google Books have a ctrl+f-able&nbsp;<a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Feel_Free.html?id=YoUqDwAAQBAJ&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;source=kp_read_button#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">preview</a>&nbsp;available but it's not really the same.<br /><br /><b>PART I: IN THE WORLD</b><br /><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2012/06/02/north-west-london-blues/" target="_blank">Northwest London Blues</a><br /><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2014/04/03/elegy-countrys-seasons/" target="_blank">Elegy for a Country's Seasons</a><br /><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/08/18/fences-brexit-diary/" target="_blank">Fences: A Brexit Diary</a><br /><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/12/22/on-optimism-and-despair/" target="_blank">On Optimism and Despair</a><br /><br /><b>PART II: IN THE AUDIENCE</b><br /><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2010/11/25/generation-why/" target="_blank">Generation Why?</a><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/09/t-magazine/the-house-that-hova-built.html" target="_blank">The House that Hova Built</a><br /><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/brother-from-another-mother" target="_blank">Brother from Another Mother</a><br /><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/12/17/some-notes-on-attunement" target="_blank">Some Notes on Attunement</a><br /><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/03/10/windows-on-the-will/" target="_blank">Windows on the Will: <i>Anomalisa</i></a><br /><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/oct/29/zadie-smith-what-beyonce-taught-me" target="_blank">Dance Lessons for Writers</a><br /><br /><b>PART III: IN THE GALLERY&nbsp;</b><br /><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2011/04/28/killing-orson-welles-midnight/" target="_blank">Killing Orson Welles at Midnight</a><br /><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/03/06/crazy-they-call-me" target="_blank">Crazy They Call me</a><br /><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/06/19/lynette-yiadom-boakyes-imaginary-portraits" target="_blank">A Bird of Few Words: Narrative Mysteries in the Paintings of Lynette-Yiadom Boakye</a><br /><a href="https://harpers.org/archive/2017/07/getting-in-and-out/" target="_blank">Getting in and Getting Out</a><br />MIA:&nbsp;Flaming June,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sn.at/kultur/eine-junge-frau-bedenkt-das-altwerden-363061"><i>Alte Frau</i></a>&nbsp;by Balthasar Denner, Mark Bradford's <i>Niagra</i><b>,&nbsp;</b>The Tattered Ruins of the Map: On Sarah Sze's Centrifuge<br /><div><br /></div><b>PART IV: ON THE BOOKSHELF</b><br /><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jul/04/zadie-smith-jg-ballard-crash" target="_blank">Crash by JG Ballard</a><br /><a href="https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-literature/articles/zadie-smith-on-the-buddha-of-suburbia" target="_blank">The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi</a><br /><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/aug/01/zadie-smith-nw-book-club" target="_blank">Notes on NW</a><br /><a href="https://harpers.org/author/zadiesmith/" target="_blank">The Harper's Columns</a><br /><a href="https://forward.com/culture/352961/why-zadie-smith-thinks-philip-roth-and-alexander-portnoy-changed-the-world/" target="_blank">The I Who is not Me </a>(couldn't find the transcript, but this is an article about it)<br /><br /><b>PART V: FEEL FREE</b><br /><a href="http://www.rookiemag.com/2015/02/life-writing/" target="_blank">Life-Writing</a><br /><a href="https://www.hamilton.edu/news/story/author-zadie-smith-captivates-her-audience-in-tolles-lecture" target="_blank">The Bathroom &amp; Meet Justin Bieber!</a>&nbsp;(couldn't find the transcript, but this is an article about it)<br /><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2013/12/05/zadie-smith-man-vs-corpse/" target="_blank">Man Versus Corpse</a><br /><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2013/11/07/love-boboli-borghese-gardens/" target="_blank">Love in the Gardens&nbsp;</a><br /><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2014/10/23/find-your-beach/" target="_blank">Find your Beach</a><br /><a href="http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2013/01/10/joy/" target="_blank">Joy</a><br />MIA: The Shadow of Ideas<br /><br />And while I was scouring the web for EVERYTHING ZADIE I came across two beautiful commencement addresses that I may as well throw into this heap of links:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjdmo6EKn8I" target="_blank">2014 New School Commencement Address</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcE3MG0foqU" target="_blank">2016 Grinnell College Commencement Address</a><br /><br />Happy Reading!<br /><br />If you've found any of the ones I'm missing are easily accessible and I'm just dumb, drop me a comment and I'll add it in!<br /><br /><h3><span style="font-size: medium;">// and now a guide to my header collage//</span></h3><i>i.e. </i>in which essays you will find reference to these lovely people/characters<br />Also is it just me or do Phillip Roth and Denner's Alte Frau look like they're related?<br /><br />Joni Mitchell &gt; <b>Notes on Attunement</b><br />Scowling Old Woman &gt;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b><i>Alte Frau</i> by Balthasar Denner</b><br />Billie Holiday &gt; <b>Crazy They Call Me</b><br />Michael Jackson, Prince, Beyonce &gt; <b>Dance Lessons for Writers</b><br />Jesse Eisenberg in <i>The Social Network&nbsp;</i>&gt; <b>Generation Why?</b><br />Harold Lloyd hanging off a clock in <i>Safety Last!&nbsp;</i>&gt; <b>Killing Orson Welles at Midnight</b><br />Key &amp; Peele &gt; <b>Brother from Another Mother</b><br />Man with bird, painting titled <i>Mercy over Matter </i>&gt; <b>A Bird of Few Words</b><br />Girl lounging in an orange dress &gt; <b>Flaming June</b><br />Jay-Z &gt; <b>The House that Hova Built</b><br />Zadie Smith looking gorgeous &gt; All of em!<br />Phillip Roth &gt; <b>The I Who Isn't Me</b><br />Daniel Kaluuya in <i>Get Out</i> &gt; <b>Getting In and Out</b><br /><br /><b><br /></b><b>Feel Free: Essays</b><br />by Zadie Smith<br />Published:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35581653-feel-free">February 2018</a><br /><br />torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-65058365803812409972018-01-27T12:40:00.000-06:002018-02-22T23:01:53.459-06:00We're All Spinsters Here<br /><a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DVNK0_0U8AAXZe5.jpg:large" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="750" height="632" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DVNK0_0U8AAXZe5.jpg:large" width="640" /></a><br /><b><br /></b><b>The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror&nbsp;</b><br />by Mallory Ortberg<br />To Be Published: March 2018<br /><br />Thanks to Disney's whimsical remakes of capital "R" Romantic folklore, my only childhood exposure to fairytales was cheerful princesses singing their way to happy endings surrounded by industrious animal friends. But we're all adults here. I think by now, we all know these are just sugar-coated versions of some pretty <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/12/the-real-story-behind-eve_n_4239730.html" target="_blank">gnarly source material</a>.<br /><br /><i>The Merry Spinster</i>&nbsp;meets us somewhere in the middle with 11 twisted versions of well known fables and fairy tales that are somehow as playful as they are sinister. The shorts are adapted from Mallory Ortberg's series&nbsp;<i>Children's Stories Made Horrific</i>&nbsp;from the&nbsp;<strike>now defunct</strike>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Nicole_Cliffe/status/958805279788826625" target="_blank">temporarily offline&nbsp;</a>The-Toast.net<sup>1</sup>. It's certainly not required that you know the OG classical versions of the stories to understand what's going on, but it can't hurt (<a href="http://www.familymanagement.com/literacy/grimms/grimms-toc.html" target="_blank">so here they are!</a>) As with any sort of parody, the better the grasp you have on what is being referenced, the more you'll get to wryly smirk to yourself as you read along.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/FWB0YyB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="740" data-original-width="750" height="393" src="https://i.imgur.com/FWB0YyB.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"<b>The danger of silence is that someone who wishes to hear a yes will not go out of his way to listen for a no.</b><br /><b>- "The Six Boy-Coffins", <i>The Merry Spinster&nbsp;</i><sup>2</sup></b></td></tr></tbody></table>If scary stories aren't really your jam, just know that these aren't necessarily as gruesome as&nbsp;fairy tales of yore (...okay, maybe <i>some</i> are). Rather, they're well-crafted and sly in their horror-- the truly chilling undercurrents are the social mores, the patriarchy, and what we endure in the name of love. <i>This</i> is where Ortberg's particular brand of dry dark comedy really shines through. Much like her debut book,&nbsp;<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20695981-texts-from-jane-eyre" target="_blank">Texts from Jane Eyre</a>, </i>the language and style remain faithful to originals, a truly gritty homage.<br /><br />Reading through past interviews, I feel like Ortberg's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thecut.com/2014/10/mallory-ortberg-on-the-great-jerks-of-literature.html" target="_blank">love for the title</a><b>&nbsp;</b>might be what&nbsp;willed<b> </b>the rest of the book into existence. It's super fitting too: the Merry Spinster archetype may be the only uplifting motif running through these&nbsp;bleak pages. So on that note, here's a&nbsp;<a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/120150/interview-mallory-ortberg-author-texts-jane-eyre" target="_blank">quote from the author</a>&nbsp;explaining the concept beautifully:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: #999999;">"I would always love for my next book to be a light comic novella called </span><i style="color: #999999;">The Merry Spinster</i><span style="color: #999999;"> and to explore those themes of glorious female solitude. I think female solitude is a mental condition as well as a physical state. You can be married and a spinster. I think spinster is an identity every woman can claim, if she will. … I feel like a lot of women, or a lot of feminists, joke about taking to the sea or living alone in a cottage as this kind of fun freedom."</span></blockquote><br />// I received this book free from <a href="http://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a> in exchange for an honest review. Quotes are taken from an advanced readers copy and may not be final. Please refer to a finished copy.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">// Footnotes</span><br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>1</b>.&nbsp;</span>The Toast is dead, long live The Toast...You'd better believe as soon as it's back online I'm linking the shit out of it.<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>2. </b>This is a random art card from the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usgamesinc.com/Smith-Waite-Centennial-Tarot-Deck/" target="_blank">Smith-Waite</a>&nbsp;tarot deck and has nothing to do with the book, but I tweaked it a teensy bit and now it's just PERFECT you'll see.</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-38193474382403395532018-01-15T14:15:00.000-06:002018-01-15T20:16:32.348-06:00Making the Monster, or Happy 200th Birthday Frankenstein!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1509719648l/34918613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="280" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1509719648l/34918613.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><b>Making the Monster: The Science Behind Mary Shelley's Frankenstein</b><br />by: Kathryn Harkup<br />To be Published: Feb 2018<br /><br />2018 marks the <b>200th anniversary</b> of Mary Shelley's gothic masterpiece-- Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus. Widely&nbsp;recognized as one of the first (if not <i>the</i> first) work of science fiction, this revolutionary novel has truly withstood the test of time (and continues to haunt middle school literary criticism to this day). Some may already know the broad strokes of how this story came to life: on a dark and stormy night (of course), 18 year old Mary joins her friends in a competitive game to see who can write the best horror story. Inspired by the rational ideals of the Enlightenment and recent advances in electricity research, Mary writes the short story that she will later develop into the novel we know and love.<br /><br /><i>Making the Monster</i> dives quite bit deeper into the historical context of this work, piecing together not only Mary's biography but those of her family, friends and any intellectual or "natural philosopher" she may have been influenced by. This is interwoven with the upheavals in politics and the sciences leading up to her education and journey away from home. Though the narrative unravels into countless tangents and side-histories, it is well-organized and cohesive. This is a book for anyone who enjoys reading about the history of scientific progress-- the controversies, the blunders, and the experiments that got us where we are today<sup><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1</span></sup>. Whether or not you enjoyed (or even read) Frankenstein, if you appreciate its significance in history and are ready to fall down the rabbit-hole of alchemy, galvanism, and medical experimentation (oh my!), check it out.<br /><br />// I received this book free from <a href="http://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a> in exchange for an honest review. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMfm2EQ1tUA/Wl1AltdgobI/AAAAAAAAEyk/w3G5HJFXGbIbPfG92Z3uzhfkqa1Vml2qwCLcBGAs/s1600/frankenstein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="646" height="306" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMfm2EQ1tUA/Wl1AltdgobI/AAAAAAAAEyk/w3G5HJFXGbIbPfG92Z3uzhfkqa1Vml2qwCLcBGAs/s320/frankenstein.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*blows dust off drawing pad* 2018 resolutions here we go!</td></tr></tbody></table>1. If weird medical history is your thing and you're not already listening to the Maximum Fun podcast "<a href="http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/sawbones">Sawbones</a>" Run, don't walk.<br /><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br />torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-81508291998001887552018-01-04T15:38:00.000-06:002018-01-04T15:38:41.128-06:00The Three-Body Problem<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1415428227l/20518872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1415428227l/20518872.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><b>The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1) </b><br />by Liu Cixin (translated by Ken Liu) <br />Published: Nov 2014 (first published 2007) <br /><br />THIS is the hard sci fi I've been craving: chock full of physics thought-experiments, tedious descriptions of nanoparticle research and multi-dimensional folding, with a hefty dose of cult environmentalism. Plus it's written and set in China -- starting with the Cultural Revolution and spanning the decades leading up to present day-- so there's also heavy focus on the persecution of scientists and intellectuals by the Communist Party. So if you enjoy your dystopian fiction a little<i> too real</i>, look no further.<br /><br />As a literary work it's not entirely consistent - there are some gloriously crafted passages with a fair share of dry, struggle-to-get-through moments. But I'm leaving the 5 star rating on Goodreads for the incredible ingenuity packed into the story. There's a lot to unpack here and I felt it all pulled together quite nicely. Though for anyone interested in checking it out, a warning: definitely did myself a disservice listening to this over audiobook. On top of it being a bit more difficult to distinguish between names, there were so many times I wanted to go back and reread an especially technical passage or process described in a previous chapter with absolutely no idea how to scroll back and find it. Will definitely be adding this to my library as a hardcopy.torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-46684395278148255752018-01-01T17:12:00.001-06:002018-01-02T08:19:58.450-06:00My Year in Books or: How I Learned To Stop Wasting My Bus Commute<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/9n45Lgt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://i.imgur.com/9n45Lgt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />So I started out this year with the goal to read a&nbsp;book a month, alternating fiction and nonfiction and writing up review after each one (in a sincere but futile effort to stall the inevitable fading of my awful, awful memory). This was actually a pretty lofty goal considering my reading habits since grad school had consisted entirely of manga, comics and Song of Ice and Fire rereads. Turns out, I vastly underestimated the amount of reading I could squeeze into a hour long bus commute (and devouring books was the perfect replacement to doing actual work and improving myself in tangible ways!). I ended up rounding out the year closer to 8 books a month coming in at a hot 98 with an almost perfect split of fic/nonfic.<br /><br />But I didn't write this shit up <i>just</i> to humblebrag all over your beautiful faces, I also wanted to share some things I learned over the span of the year. Apologies if these are already common knowledge, I honestly have been living under a Netflix-shaped rock for the last five years.<br /><br /><b>HOW REVIEWING GETS YOU FREE BOOKS</b><br />Now back in the swing of a full blown book addiction, I'm swimming upstream against the last few years of bestsellers and near constant flow of new releases. To make matters even more complicated I realized there are services that appreciate book reviews so much they send you free Advance Reader Copies just to hear your honest opinion. &nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloggingforbooks.com/" target="_blank"><b>Blogging for Books</b></a>&nbsp;sends you books in exchange for a review (though I actually haven't yet read or reviewed <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25852784-evicted" target="_blank">the book</a> they sent me because I'm the worst). <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank"><b>Netgalley</b></a> is a website for authors to receive feedback from booksellers, librarians and reviewers and I've gotten some pretty incredible <a href="https://pretendingwedontexist.blogspot.com/search/label/ARC" target="_blank"><b>ARCs</b></a> from them (here's a <a href="http://thebookbratz.blogspot.com/2016/02/how-to-netgalley-and-edelweiss-for.html">handy how-to guide</a> with more information). <a href="http://www.librarything.com/er/list" target="_blank"><b>LibraryThing</b></a>, a great website for organizing your library and to-reads, offers early reviewers a chance to grab books, again, with the expectation of feedback.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway" target="_blank"><b>Goodreads</b></a> also has giveaways for free hardcopy or ebooks but I either have terrible luck or the algorithm just hates me-- apparently posting reviews for books you are sent gives you a more favorable chance of receiving another but let's be real, it's all a numbers game.<br /><br /><b>LIBRARIES ARE ROCKING THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION</b><br />Libraries have come so far in the last few years! Getting e-books and audiobooks is super easy with either your phone or e-reader (assuming you have a recent-ish one which I unfortunately do not).&nbsp;<b><a href="https://www.overdrive.com/">Overdrive</a>&nbsp;</b>allows&nbsp;you to log in with your library card and place holds on a surprisingly great selection &amp;&nbsp;<b><a href="https://www.hoopladigital.com/" target="_blank">Hoopla</a></b> doesn't even make you wait in line - everything available can be downloaded immediately (though you are limited to 8 borrows per month). Both of these sites/apps are linked to your local public library system, but if you currently live in an area with a limited selection, there are libraries that<a href="http://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/2010/06/06/how-to-get-free-ebooks-from-libraries-using-overdrive/"> let nonresidents to gain membership</a>&nbsp;and access.<br /><br /><b>HOW TO SUPPORT LOCAL IN AN INCREASINGLY ONLINE MARKET</b><br />Online behemoths like Amazon will obviously give you the best bang for your buck, but if you're into voting with your dollars, your brick and mortar book purchases make a statement about what you value in your community. <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/indie-bookstore-finder"><b>Indiebound</b></a> has a bookstore locator if you're unsure about what is available near you. Why support local? Bookstores give you the chance to become more connected with your community and the reading world at large - either by <a href="http://www.brazosbookstore.com/event">offering events with authors</a>, reading clubs, or an opportunity to browse expertly curated selections of books. Sometimes you just want to know what's out there and the hivemind over at <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/books/"><b>r/books</b></a> can get a little circlejerky.<br /><br /><b>GOING FORWARD: WHO'S UP FOR SOME READING CHALLENGES?</b><br />Now that I've proven to myself that I can still read, I think I want to focus less on quantity and more on casting a wider, more diverse net. <b>Popsugar</b> posted a <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Reading-Challenge-2018-44138581" target="_blank">fun reading challenge</a> that may force me out of my comfort zone a bit. I don't plan to do all of them, but I like the idea of reading a "<i>book set in the decade you were born</i>", &nbsp;a "<i>book by local author</i>" or a "<i>childhood classic you've never read.</i>" Bookriot has a <a href="https://bookriot.com/2017/12/15/book-riots-2018-read-harder-challenge/" target="_blank"><b>Read Harder Challenge</b></a> with prompts like: "<i>genre fiction in translation"</i>, "<i>a book with a female protagonist over the age of 60"</i>, "<i>a comic written or illustrated by a person of color". </i>&nbsp;I've got some work to avoid y'all, LET'S FUCKIN DO THIS.torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-69870931913001739532017-12-24T14:35:00.000-06:002018-01-01T22:28:06.495-06:00The Chalk Man<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498902366l/35356382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498902366l/35356382.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><b>The Chalk Man</b><br />by C.J. Tudor<br />To be Published: Jan 2018<br /><br />Reminiscent of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092005/" target="_blank">Stand By Me</a>&nbsp;(/<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11574.The_Body" target="_blank">The Body</a>) this whodunnit centers on a group of 12 year olds and the unsolved &nbsp;mystery that plagues their small town. Flashing between 1986 and 2016, we piece together events from their childish misadventures leading up to their discovery of a brutal murder and the resurrection of the mystery decades later.<br /><br /><b>3 of 5 stars</b> : Definitely a page-turner, it has a good pace, solid story and a satisfying conclusion.** I unintentionally breezed through the book over the holiday weekend thanks to some cold and gloomy book-friendly weather! Without treading into spoiler territory, let's just say, not impressed overall. Ending every chapter on a cliffhanger really brought me back to my <a href="http://goosebumps.scholastic.com/" target="_blank">Goosebumps</a>&nbsp;/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_Street" target="_blank"> Fear Street</a> days, so maybe the overarching "meh" feeling comes from it feeling a bit YA fic. Which isn't a terrible thing in and of itself - just not my cuppa anymore. One thing I did really enjoy was the occasional asides on existence and memory - never forget kids, deep down we're <i>all </i>unreliable narrators.<br /><br />**that said I'm still left with some questions and I can't decide whether this was sloppy, intentional or I'm just dense. Usually the latter so *shrugs*<br /><br />PS: Found a nice summary video from C.J. Tudor herself:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FCJTudorOfficial%2Fvideos%2F189998584892180%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="560"></iframe>torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-83079030456739692952017-12-23T00:30:00.000-06:002017-12-23T01:06:20.215-06:00Book of the Month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/tvpbmW1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="750" height="636" src="https://i.imgur.com/tvpbmW1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>~~~ wake up wake up wake up, it's the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j_cOsgRY7w&amp;ab_channel=BoneThugsMusic" target="_blank">book of the mooooooonth</a> ~~&nbsp;</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>// <i>Disclaimer: Book of the Month has not paid me to promote them, I am a corporate shill of my own volition and with no foreseeable benefit to myself. Don't mind me, I'll just be sitting here re-evaluating all the choices I've made that have led me to this point.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bookofthemonth.com/" target="_blank">Book of the Month</a>&nbsp;Club was founded in 1926 as a way to distribute and discuss new and upcoming books. From the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_the_Month_Club" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> page, I bring you some fun tidbits of history:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"The club has a tradition of focusing on debut and emerging writers, and is known for having helped launch the careers of some of the most acclaimed authors in American literary history. In 1926 (its first year in operation), the Club featured Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. In 1936 (its tenth year), the Club selected Gone with the Wind by unknown author Margaret Mitchell... In 1951 (its 25th year), the club distributed its 100 millionth book and selected J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, which became both the most-censored and the most-taught book in America."</blockquote>Since it's the holiday season, I've had this bouncing around my brain-- that I'm pleased with my subscription and thought I'd spread the joy. This is for anyone who still needs a gift for that picky bookworm who you love just enough to spend one of three convenient price ranges ($45 bucks for 3 books, $80 bucks for 6 books or $150 for 12...so starting at ~$15 per book). Each month, members are presented with five new books and the option to either pick one or skip the month. There is also an archive of books offered in the past that are available to someone with book credits.<br /><br />Honestly, I'd wait until BOTM is doing a coupon or offer to make sure you're getting the best deal i.e.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.groupon.com/coupons/stores/bookofthemonth.com" target="_blank">Groupon</a> / <a href="https://www.retailmenot.com/view/bookofthemonth.com" target="_blank">RetailMeNot</a> / sporadic promo sales.<br /><br /><b>Q: Kay you've convinced me, where do I go to check this out?</b><br />A: Haz click aquí --&gt; <b><i><a href="https://www.mybotm.com/k1520jx3pt5zsemi" target="_blank">If you use my own personal referral link</a></i></b>&nbsp;I get a free book. Thanks in advance, stranger! That's some genius marketing right there, yea? Falls right in line with their self-perpetuating stream of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/botm/" target="_blank">Instagram Book Looks</a>. *<a href="https://i.imgur.com/NsnSOe1.jpg">cough</a>*<br /><br /><b>Q: What if my friend is super particular and doesn't like the books available?&nbsp;</b><br />A: They can always skip that month and get something the next month! Or the month after that. Or the one after that. Or they can prolong the wait indefinitely and get off on how unreasonably high their standards are #neversettle #neverbackdown. But seriously there's no shame in skipping months, save those credits for books you're excited about. Though the curation team does deserve some credit here: the picks seem pretty well-regarded in the grand scheme of things.<br /><b><br /></b><b>Q: Why can't I just get my friend a gift card to their favorite local book store? Or to Half-Price books instead? &nbsp;</b><br />A: I never said you couldn't do that. Those are fantastic options! Do it! Some local bookstores even offer subscription boxes now - like my lovely neighborhood&nbsp;<a href="http://www.brazosbookstore.com/brazosbox" target="_blank">Brazos Bookstore</a> makes personalized gift boxes tailor-made to suit the recipient with 1-2 books and several gift items. Book of the Month is neat and all but nothing beats supporting local. Find your nearest indie bookstore on <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/indie-bookstore-finder">IndieBound</a>!torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-86711032206966307742017-12-22T16:02:00.000-06:002017-12-28T12:45:57.568-06:00Gingerbrain Cookie Ornaments<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AIijqwAL0bk/Wj11CTK6-HI/AAAAAAAAExk/ffsuwmNd6aYDwe5IZvBRd0SYmdL8FwoxACLcBGAs/s1600/braincookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AIijqwAL0bk/Wj11CTK6-HI/AAAAAAAAExk/ffsuwmNd6aYDwe5IZvBRd0SYmdL8FwoxACLcBGAs/s640/braincookies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: &quot;helvetica&quot; , &quot;arial&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>This year for our annual holiday gift exchange, I decided to *spice* things up a bit with an easy cinnamon craft (don't worry I'm rolling my eyes right there with ya). There are millions of recipes for this online, but the gist is:<br /><ol><li><b>Mix 1 cup applesauce and 1 1/2 cup cinnamon into a doughy consistency.</b> Some recipes call for Elmer's glue, other's don't. I added a tablespoon of it to make sure everything would bind together and mine turned out pretty resilient.</li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Roll out the dough until it is about 1/3 of an inch.</b> Keep in mind, the thinner you make it the faster it will dry but if you make it too thin, your little brains will be frail and more prone to cracking.&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Cut into a brain shape.</b> I used <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011SYXXLE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&amp;psc=1" target="_blank">this cookie-cutter</a></i> I found on Amazon but your options here are limitless you can even draw an outline yourself! Then use a straw or toothpick to cut out a hole on the top so that you have something to poke the ribbon through.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Air dry or bake. </b>What kind of time frame are you working with here? Because I baked mine at 200 degrees for about 2 hours to get em started and then left them out to air dry for the next week just to be sure. It really depends on how thick you made them and how long you are willing to wait for them to stop being squishy.&nbsp;</span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Decorate with fabric paint "icing."</b>Get creative! Or go off some anatomical diagrams. I made sure to include the lateral sulcus and sensory/motor cortices but anything beyond that was squiggletown.</span></li></ol><div>Apparently these will last for years and years if you keep them nice and dry in storage. If you find the powerful cinnamon smell has started to fade, just use some sandpaper to rough up the backside again and re-expose some of that spice. Smells like Christmas!</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is some inspiration to make sure your brain buddies are as anatomically correct as they delightful: &nbsp;</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://image.slidesharecdn.com/brainanatomy-13323396986972-phpapp02-120321092248-phpapp02/95/brain-anatomy-7-728.jpg?cb=1332322646" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="728" height="480" src="https://image.slidesharecdn.com/brainanatomy-13323396986972-phpapp02-120321092248-phpapp02/95/brain-anatomy-7-728.jpg?cb=1332322646" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/lasitham/brain-anatomy-12098255" target="_blank">Brain Anatomy Slideshare</a></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://what-when-how.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/tmp142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://what-when-how.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/tmp142.jpg" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="800" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From <a href="http://what-when-how.com/neuroscience/overview-of-the-central-nervous-system-gross-anatomy-of-the-brain-part-1/" target="_blank">What When How</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thumb1.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/4440169/533933176/stock-vector-engraving-brain-illustration-in-gray-scale-monochrome-color-on-white-background-533933176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="450" height="474" src="https://thumb1.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/4440169/533933176/stock-vector-engraving-brain-illustration-in-gray-scale-monochrome-color-on-white-background-533933176.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This illustration from <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/engraving-brain-illustration-gray-scale-monochrome-533933176" target="blank">Shuttershock</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Oh! and be sure to blast Sia's Christmas album as you go along, otherwise they won't turn out. Sorry it's true.<br /><br /><b>Recipe references:&nbsp;</b></div><div><a href="https://www.mccormick.com/recipes/other/cinnamon-ornaments" target="_blank">Recipe without glue</a></div><div><a href="https://fountainavenuekitchen.com/3-ingredient-cinnamon-ornaments/" target="_blank">Recipe with glue</a><br /><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/yDIerIb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="636" height="640" src="https://i.imgur.com/yDIerIb.jpg" width="508" /></a></div><br />torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-65774928254683967652017-11-24T12:26:00.000-06:002017-12-21T12:31:06.060-06:00Making Sense of the Alt-Right<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508261742l/34889259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="309" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1508261742l/34889259.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><b>Making Sense of the Alt-Right</b><br />by George Hawley<br />Published: September 2017<br /><br /><i>Making Sense of the Alt-Right</i> offers a quick primer on the relatively new extremist offshoot of American conservatism.<br />The Alternative Right's primary focus is aggressive, irreverent white-identitarian politics, but as it gains traction has also begun to capture a jumbled web of disgruntled conservatives seeking an outlet from the mainstream.<br /><br />Hawley details the ideological foundations (racial realism, paleoconservatism, radical libretarianism) as well as the projections for the future of the movement in Trump's America. Because there is no centralized leader, the messages and strategies that "go viral" are the ones that are perpetuated, giving the movement a haphazard, disjointed quality.<br /><br /><b>4.5 out of 5 stars: </b>Somehow despite being one of the biggest buzzwords of the 2016 election and following year, I didn't know much more about this trend than the fact that it existed and it's lifeblood was extremist hate speech. Turns out, news coverage of the group was only hyperbolic in insinuating the group was organized and cohesive (so don't worry, all of the horrible racist, misogynist, shocking language you've heard spewed really are quite accurate). Well-researched and very thorough read - I will definitely be checking out Hawley's other books in the hopes to shed some light on other factions within our political spectrum. Alt-left anyone?<br /><br />// I received this book free from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a>&nbsp;in exchange for an honest review.torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-21763016954752113982017-11-14T14:24:00.000-06:002017-11-25T20:53:47.152-06:00Inside Private Prisons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497274557l/34889179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497274557l/34889179.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><b>Inside Private Prisons: An American Dilemma in the Age of Mass Incarceration</b><br />by Lauren-Brooke Eisen<br />Published: November 2017<br /><br />First and foremost,&nbsp;<i>Inside Private Prisons</i> is an investigation of the benefits and downsides of privatizing the American prison system. But of course, everything is more complicated than it seems. A journey through the history of privatization goes on to explore our sordid past (and present) of prisoners as commodities, how activists use prison divestment as a tool, and the extent to which immigrant detention centers fit into the prison industrial complex. Overarching the span of the book, readers are encouraged to reflect on the nature of the carceral state: how did we get to this age of mass incarceration? How will our current political landscape shape the future?<br /><br /><b>3.5 out of 5 stars: </b>This book was well-researched almost to a fault - just bursting at the seams with information. The overarching structure of the book sets a solid foundation for discussion, but I felt within each chapter the narrative tends to diverge wildly, leaving some anecdotes and facts a bit scattered and out of place. On the one hand, I <i>want </i>to casually recommend this to anyone with zero background knowledge of the United States prison system (like me!) because it such a strong collection of data and eye-opening realities*. But if I'm completely honest it was a bit of a struggle for me to get through, probably better suited as a required reading text in a college course.<br /><br /><i>* Did you know small prison towns get to headcount prisoners in the census? So even though prisoners can't vote, they brings more political weight to the region AND bring down the mean income level qualifying the town for federal aid. What a fun new way to gerrymander over-representation for rural america!</i><br /><i><br /></i><br />// I received this book free from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a>&nbsp;in exchange for an honest review.torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-6930946783498972842017-11-05T09:33:00.004-06:002017-11-06T10:04:29.621-06:00History Earned: Saint Arnold reppin' Astros gear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Houston Astros 2017 World Series Champions!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.imgur.com/5KMxeuq.jpg?1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://i.imgur.com/5KMxeuq.jpg?1" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: &quot;sf optimized&quot; , , , &quot;blinkmacsystemfont&quot; , &quot;.sfnstext-regular&quot; , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.11999999731779099px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Just felt like the world needed a <a href="http://www.saintarnold.com/" target="_blank">Saint Arnold Brewing Company</a> /&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.mlb.com/astros" target="_blank">Houston Astros</a> mashup and drawing it up was a perfect way to avoid cleaning my apartment! Recommended pairing: &nbsp;Paul Wall's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh1MzbT9yKA&amp;ab_channel=979THEBOX" target="_blank">World Series Grillz</a>" on eternal repeat. Still riding that Game 7 high!</div>torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-49181293900214229412017-10-15T10:33:00.000-05:002017-11-17T16:18:46.848-06:00Home Fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500032043l/33621427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500032043l/33621427.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><b>Home Fire</b><br />by Kamila Shamsie <br />Published: August 2017 <br /><br />A British-Pakistani retelling of Antigone that cuts deeply into one of the most divisive and charged political issues of our day: Muslim immigration in a time of ISIS. Various characters offer their perspective in unraveling the story - a devout Muslim studying sociology, a secular, hawkish political conservative, and a naive rebellious youth are but a few.<br /><b><br /></b><b>4.5 out of 5:</b> The layering of personal narratives and insight was masterfully crafted and I really enjoyed the meta-story that arises from it. Just goes to show how easy it is to judge someone before you know their motives, their story. What's the old adage - "we judge others by their actions and ourselves by our intentions"? <br /><br />As for the ending, <i>**SPOILER ALERT** </i>while&nbsp;there is definitely room for debate here, I do not think the ending was lazy or hyperbolic. It perfectly captures the intense theatrical downer that is greek tragedy (though I definitely wouldn't have caught the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-kamila-shamsie-20170901-story.html" target="_blank">Antigone parallels </a>on my own) but it also fits unsettling well into the chaos and violence of the ISIS narrative. This is exactly the sort of situation that terror organizations take advantage of.torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-88792143023250791972017-10-10T12:48:00.000-05:002017-11-05T16:44:35.227-06:00A World of Three Zeros<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497369164l/33785340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497369164l/33785340.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><b>A World of Three Zeros: The New Economics of Zero Poverty, Zero Unemployment, and Zero Net Carbon Emissions </b><br />by Muhammad Yunus <br /><br />Muhammad Yunus was actually the commencement speaker at my graduation ceremony and even though the whole day is a bit of an emotional blur, his speech (which I'm trying desperately to find&nbsp;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100810034135/http://edtech.rice.edu/cms/?option=com_iwebcast&amp;action=details&amp;event=2230" target="_blank">somewhere online</a>) stuck with me. It was the first I had ever heard of <a href="http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/microfinance.asp" target="_blank">microfinance</a>- his revolutionary movement creating entrepreneurial opportunities for the impoverished by offering small loans. In <i>A World of Three Zeros</i>, Yunus expands on his vision for the future - one in which economics is shaped by and reliant on social and environmental policies. He imagines a world with zero poverty, zero unemployment and zero net carbon emissions and this book expands on the framework that will help get us there.<br /><br />One main focus is on the concept of a "social business": the idea that businesses can exist in a realm between nonprofit and for-profit. These businesses serve the community by satisfying a present need and funnel all profits back into the business itself, allowing for expansions and improvements rather than lining the pockets of investors or executives. Social businesses rely on the principle that humans have both selfish and altruistic impulses: the self-propelled nature of this model encourages the distribution of wealth by offering employment, goods and services, and community engagement without relying on donations or charity.<br /><br /><b>4.5 out of 5 stars: </b>This was a very interesting book to read and catch up on what Muhammad Yunus has been up to, especially since I haven't thought much about microcredit in the last decade. Yunus' passion for this mission is tangible. Though there were times where the book felt a bit like an advertisement for <a href="http://www.grameen.com/" target="_blank">Grameen Bank</a>, I don't feel that it detracts from the message since (by definition) he doesn't personally stand to gain from a more widespread adoption of this model. All in all, this book can be summed up by the age-old adage: "give a man a fish and he is fed for a day; teach a man to fish, give him a small loan to start up his own small company where he is able to hire others to work with him to sell fish to the poor at a price they can afford and you help bring a community out of poverty. Or something like that.<br /><br />// I received this book free from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a>&nbsp;in exchange for an honest review.torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-65311393451926289832017-09-19T12:26:00.000-05:002017-09-19T14:08:02.237-05:00The Refugees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470284522l/30358505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1470284522l/30358505.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><b>The Refugees&nbsp;</b><br />by Viet Thanh Nguyen<br />Published: February 2017<br /><br />8 short stories that span the wide spectrum of Vietnamese-American immigrant experiences. From literal ghost stories of those haunted by the past, to a neighborhood rivalry between two mothers struggling to make a difference, each story peers into a broken family displaced by war.<br /><br /><b>4 out of 5 stars</b>: Beautifully moving stories of hope, sorrow, and nostalgia. For me, the standouts were "Black-Eyed Women", "War Years" and "I'd Love You To Want Me." I enjoyed these so much, I may have to revisit <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23168277-the-sympathizer" target="_blank">The Sympathizer</a>&nbsp;(which still sits right where I left it when&nbsp;I got distracted by <a href="https://i.imgur.com/DTvr37V.gifv" target="_blank">who knows what </a>and failed our burgeoning book club so miserably. I'm better now, guys, promise!)<br /><br />torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-29233460362190529092017-09-15T15:12:00.000-05:002017-09-18T08:53:59.556-05:00Brooklyn's Sweet Ruin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61Uh5IHCdvL._SY379_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="499" height="244" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61Uh5IHCdvL._SY379_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Brooklyn's Sweet Ruin: Relics and Stories of the Domino Sugar Refinery</b><br />by: Paul Raphaelson<br />To Be Published: Oct 2017<br /><br />The Domino Sugar Refinery is an iconic figure of the Williamsburg skyline. At one point it was the world's largest sugar refinery, processing 4 million pounds of raw sugar a day. However production steadily decreased throughout later half of the 20th century and it eventually closed in 2004. Though it was granted historic landmark status in 2007, its fate has been in limbo since.<br /><br />When I lived in Brooklyn I'd run by it daily, always wondering what was going on behind those shuttered doors. I mean, it stands on prime real estate in an area intent on gentrification, where posh waterfront studios just keep shooting up at an alarming rate. "Brooklyn's Sweet Ruin" gives a final glimpse into the heart of the Domino Sugar Refinery before its demolition. There is a certain sadness in seeing relics of an industrialized era, but in the nostalgia there is awe and wonder at what architecture and workforce are capable of.<br /><div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>4.5 out of 5 stars: </b>The photos are absolutely gorgeous (with an undeniable "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GE2BkLqMef4" target="_blank">Fallout</a>" vibe) but what&nbsp;I appreciated most was the accompanying write up: interviews with workers, a brief history of the refinery, and context for its place in history.<br /><div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/665/063/cc25ddbf881ac5a9098602e021696d18_original.jpg?w=680&amp;fit=max&amp;v=1429802077&amp;auto=format&amp;q=92&amp;s=80320e06004b9fe96090c33f6795dadb" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="680" height="427" src="https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/003/665/063/cc25ddbf881ac5a9098602e021696d18_original.jpg?w=680&amp;fit=max&amp;v=1429802077&amp;auto=format&amp;q=92&amp;s=80320e06004b9fe96090c33f6795dadb" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">From the Kickstarter page, view from the East River</td></tr></tbody></table>PS: Apparently this book started as project on <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1534429397/sweet-ruin-the-brooklyn-domino-sugar-refinery" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>, and you can find more information on this video posted by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JelcI3xouuw" target="_blank">Paul Raphaelson</a> and his <a href="http://paulraphaelson.com/domino-sugar-refinery/" target="_blank">website</a>.<br /><br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.600000381469727px;">// I received this book free from&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" style="color: #66cc00; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 15.600000381469727px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">NetGalley</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times&quot; , serif; font-size: 15.600000381469727px;">&nbsp;in exchange for an honest review.</span><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div>torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-52649987169702308512017-09-13T13:53:00.000-05:002018-02-22T12:59:17.055-06:00Freshwater<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500884500l/35412372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1500884500l/35412372.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><b>Freshwater: a novel</b><br />by: Akwaeke Emezi<br />To be published: Feb 2018<br /><br />Seamlessly weaving a Nigerian mythos of mischievous gods (<a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13694670600621795?journalCode=cmhr20">Ọgbanje</a>) with a Western understanding of psychopathology, this breakout novel burrows into the experience of trauma, self-awareness, and spiritual awakening. &nbsp;The deeply surreal story is narrated by a girl with "one foot on the other side" and the chorus of selves that reside in her fractured mind. Somehow despite the extremely heavy and personal subject matter, Emezi's narrative voices are as entertaining as they are painfully relatable.<br /><br /><b>5 out of 5 stars</b>: What a fucking fantastic, unique read. I knew next to nothing going in and honestly want to cut this review short to extend the same courtesy to anyone else who may happen upon my page. That said, I read it on the tails of my vacation to the Yucatán peninsula, where I had the opportunity to learn more about the mysticism of the Mayans and their regard for their wind serpent god <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kukulkan">Kulkulkan</a>. It's interesting how certain animals or representations resonate similarly with different ancient cultures. The Igbo and the Mayans may have been separated by a continent and ocean, but they both revered the power of the serpentine life force.<br /><br />// I received this book free from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a>&nbsp;in exchange for an honest review.<br /><br />PS: If you liked <i>this </i>you should also check out:<br /><ul><li>&nbsp;<a href="http://pretendingwedontexist.blogspot.com/2017/07/what-it-means-when-man-falls-from-sky.html"><b>What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky</b>, by Lesley Nneka Arimah</a></li></ul><br /><br />torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-76263774081681337492017-09-09T12:35:00.000-05:002017-09-13T13:21:36.616-05:00Where the Wild Coffee Grows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492921195l/33590621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492921195l/33590621.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><b>Where the Wild Coffee Grows: The Untold Story of Coffee from the Cloud Forests of Ethiopia to Your Cup</b><br />by: Jeff Koehler<br />To Be Published: Nov 2017<br /><br />"Where the Wild Coffee Grows" takes us on a well-researched trek through the history of the coffee, bringing together the writings of explorers and historians as well as first hand accounts from living farmers, scientists, and magnates of the coffee industry. The journey begins in the forests of Ethiopia, where communities view the coffee preparation ritual as a social activity, an expression of their spiritual connection with nature. Then we follow the beans as they make their way into the Middle East and Europe through conquest and trade. We end in the modern era, riding the wave of mass-consumption and artisanal quality in a globalized market. Yet ominous clouds of issues billow ahead, threatening the natural existence of our favorite beverage: the steadily changing climate, the spread of fungal blights, and the unfortunate homogeneity of coffee-plant genetics leave the future uncertain. <br /><br /><b>4 out of 5 stars: </b>As Colombian-American, coffee is quite literally my lifeblood. I felt like I owed it to my multi-cup-a-day habit to learn a bit more about this precious beverage, and I found the history of mankind's relationship with this bean to be fascinating. The first few chapters were a bit long-winded and overly detailed while excavating the history of Ethiopian politics, tangential to the story at hand. But once the text returned to the global impact of coffee and threats to its future, the book was hard to put down. The perspectives compiled for this work will appeal to coffee snobs and scientists alike, though honestly anyone with a taste for the black gold will enjoy reading up on its past, present and future.<br /><br />// I received this book free from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a>&nbsp;in exchange for an honest review.torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-1365312599148306942017-08-31T14:51:00.001-05:002017-09-13T13:21:30.568-05:00The Curl Revolution<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487905284l/34384570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1487905284l/34384570.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><b>The Curl Revolution: Inspiring Stories and Practical Advice from the NaturallyCurly Community&nbsp;</b><br />by: Michelle Breyer<br />To be published: October 2017<br /><br />Anyone with naturally curly or wavy hair knows how challenging it can be to tame. The goal of this book is to offer support and advice to women and men with textured locks. Michelle Breyer is the co-founder of <a href="https://www.naturallycurly.com/">NaturallyCurly.com</a>&nbsp;which has been a resource of the curly-haired community for almost two decades.<br /><br />First, we learn about the history and formation of the website and <a href="https://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/">CurlTalk </a>forums. This transitions into a section that provides emotional support to curlies. In a world that hasn't always been accepting of the "wild" or "natural" look, many people have been raised to hate their unruly hair (by well-meaning parents, schoolyard bullies, or <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/discussion.php?id=7797f8coxgfq7tzhvjaiy5r5">subtle social cues</a>).<br /><br />Then, what I found most useful, the rest of the book provides information on identifying your own curl type, detailing regiments for cleaning and styling hair, as well as tips for cutting, coloring and controlling frizz. Interspersed throughout the text we see accounts of how individuals have embraced their curly hair and what their own personal routines entail. The photos taken for the book are colorful and striking and truly capture the beauty and diversity of textured hair.<br /><br /><b>4.5 out of 5 stars:</b>&nbsp;None of this information is new per se (as it is all hosted on their website), but this book is an excellent resource for those who may be overwhelmed by the amount of information available online. I can also see this being a great gift for someone who is trying to embrace the wavy/curly/coily natural lifestyle but doesn't know where to start.<br /><br />// I received this book free from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a>&nbsp;in exchange for an honest review.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W71VNwo9MjI/WahwHgHLsEI/AAAAAAAAEpM/TgYykiUAOsswzOfvLz_SA-EAXhYcxhvrwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1162%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="713" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W71VNwo9MjI/WahwHgHLsEI/AAAAAAAAEpM/TgYykiUAOsswzOfvLz_SA-EAXhYcxhvrwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_1162%2Bcopy.jpg" width="219" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: start;">Pretty sure I'm a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.naturallycurly.com/pages/hairtypes/type2#type-2c">2B/2C</a>&nbsp;wavy type. Houston humidity loves to destroy my attempts at curl management, can't wait to try out new hair care cocktails on these thirsty locks!</div><div><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-62311892978396403002017-08-27T14:17:00.000-05:002017-09-15T14:29:04.554-05:00Hurricane Harvey<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.redd.it/xwlvqs8jmaiz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="800" height="539" src="https://i.redd.it/xwlvqs8jmaiz.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Oak Bayou, before and after</td></tr></tbody></table>As Hurricane Harvey continues to batter the gulf coast and work is cancelled for the week, all I can do is sit at home and obsess over weather reports. Oh, plus watch bayou as it inches ever closer to our apartment complex's back fence.So far so good. We're extremely lucky to be located on the top floor, and my heart goes out to the rest of the greater Houston area and areas of Southeast Texas that are experiencing 800-year flood levels.torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-92100431590328676382017-08-25T22:44:00.000-05:002018-02-22T12:59:17.129-06:00We Were Eight Years In Power<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497341144l/33916061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497341144l/33916061.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><b>We Were Eight Years In Power: An American Tragedy</b><br />by: Ta-Nehisi Coates<br />To Be Published: October 2017<br /><br /><i>We Were Eight Years in Power</i>&nbsp;is a compilation of eight essays&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/author/ta-nehisi-coates/" target="_blank">Coates published with The Atlantic</a>. Each&nbsp;essay is preceded by an introductory chapter that explains&nbsp;why he wrote the piece, what was going on in his life, and how his perspective has changed since it was published. These "blog post-like" tidbits have an almost memoir-like quality to them, offering behind-the-scenes insight into the writing process and allowing Coates an opportunity to vent frustrations unconstrained by the more diplomatic, expository tone of the essays.<br /><br />Inevitably this book will be compared to Coates' award-winning&nbsp;<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25489625-between-the-world-and-me" target="_blank"><i>Between the World and Me</i></a>&nbsp;as they both ruminate on racial tension in the United States. But where&nbsp;<i>Between the World and Me</i>&nbsp;is deeply personal, raw, poetic and often bombastically esoteric,&nbsp;<i>We Were Eight Years in Power&nbsp;</i>feels more academic. Beautifully written and immensely powerful, it marries heavily-researched longform journalism and unapologetic sermonizing. The essays cover a wide swathe of topics that include meditations on what it means to elect a black president, brief biographies of Malcom X and the Obamas, a case for reparations, and an appeal to recognize the continuous role white supremacy has played in our nation's history.<br /><br />The title of the work&nbsp;<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=-xsuDwAAQBAJ&amp;lpg=PA381&amp;ots=cjxZXfBEEm&amp;dq=reconstruction%20%22we%20were%20eight%20years%20in%20power%22&amp;pg=PA381#v=onepage&amp;q=reconstruction%20%22we%20were%20eight%20years%20in%20power%22&amp;f=false" target="_blank">references</a>&nbsp;a post-Civil-War speech given by a member of the Reconstruction legislature in South Carolina. Yet, the titular "We" also echoes modern-day citizens hoping for meaningful change in the area of race relations. The parallels abound, as we too are in the midst of an intense backlash and political tidal change following the wake of progress. As we all know, those who refuse to acknowledge history are doomed to repeat it.<br /><br /><b>5 out of 5 stars</b>: As someone who hasn't really been following the prolific Ta-Nehisi Coates beyond his last bestseller, all of the essays were new and exciting. Veteran readers of the Atlantic may not be as impressed. Still, the reflection chapters do bring something new to the table and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vGK008c_rA&amp;ab_channel=David" target="_blank">really tie it all together.</a>&nbsp;Come what may, I&nbsp;will definitely be referencing this book for years to come.<br /><br />// I received this book free from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a>&nbsp;in exchange for an honest review.torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-7971423028627331252017-08-23T22:31:00.000-05:002017-08-25T22:32:44.783-05:00Healthy Meal Prep<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1499721049l/34706655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1499721049l/34706655.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><b>Healthy Meal Prep</b><br />by Stephanie Tornatore and Adam Bannon<br />To Be Published: December 2017<br /><br />A colorful, friendly primer to meal-prep cooking that includes an introduction to the art of weekly prep, 12 full-fledged weeks of meal plans, and tips and tricks for snacking and storage. Each weekly meal plan offers beautiful photographs, shopping lists and recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner variations on a theme, e.g. low carb, vegetarian, Asian or Mediterranean. Overall, well organized and extremely useful. That said, if you're not a fan of eating the same meal for a few days in a row, this may not be the book for you. After all, the factory-like assembly of clone meals is basically the&nbsp;<i>whole point&nbsp;</i>of meal prep. Variety is the spice of life and I love rotating cuisines as much as the next gal, but I personally have no issue with repeating lunches if it means I can consolidate the tediousness of calorie-counting, macro-fitting, food-scavenging into one day of the week.<br /><br /><b>5 out of 5 stars</b>: As someone who probably spends too much time scouring&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/MealPrepSunday/" target="_blank">Meal Prep Sunday</a>&nbsp;and mindlessly pinning <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=meal%20prep&amp;rs=typed&amp;term_meta[]=meal%7Ctyped&amp;term_meta[]=prep%7Ctyped" target="_blank">meal prep recipes</a>, I fall squarely into this recipe-book's target audience. I've even cooked recipes from the authors'&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCawxenzFyo_0rzpzejVHK1w" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>, which is part of the reason I was so excited to check out the book in the first place!<br /><br /><br />// I received this book free from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a>&nbsp;in exchange for an honest review.torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7067097607273021103.post-58553494771757110122017-08-17T13:00:00.000-05:002017-08-18T08:56:11.307-05:00Bad Girls from History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1499771244l/34412408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1499771244l/34412408.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><b>Bad Girls from History: Wicked or Misunderstood?</b><br />by Dee Gordon<br />To be published: December 2017<br /><br /><i>Bad Girls from History</i>&nbsp;recounts a wide array of tales of some very mischievous women. The wickedness captured in these stories ranges from the standard mistresses and adulterers, to the naughty-by-trade pirates, gangsters and witches, all the way out to the most deplorable serial killers and one-off murderers.<br /><br /><b>2.5 out of 5 stars</b>: Each account is clearly well-researched, pieced together from what remains of records of the past, yet some of the tales still leave the reader wanting more - more historical context, more information about the society that these women found themselves in. Overall, it was interesting to learn of these women's lives and impacts on the world around them, but the book felt as though it was spread a bit thin.<br /><br />// I received this book free from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" target="_blank">NetGalley</a>&nbsp;in exchange for an honest review.torthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02034296407536953329noreply@blogger.com0